Jalapeño Pineapple Sangria

The coolest we will be is Monday at a high of 81°F. The sun will sear us increasingly throughout the week, culminating in a high of 90°F on Sunday, March 15th.

In light of this, we thought Jamieson’s refreshing sangria might be a godsend. (We’ll be doubling our recipe).

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This week I finally reopened my restaurant Mamasa. To celebrate we had a beautiful party and I made a big batch of these puppies; everyone loved them. They have a hint of heat but balanced with the sweet pineapple—they’re perfect for a summer day (sorry, U.S., but it’s 95 degrees down here in Costa Rica). Definitely add this to your summer party menu!

Tools:
Small pot
Cutting board
Chopping knife
Measuring cups
Large bowl or vessel that can be stored in fridge

Directions:
In the small pot add the sugar, water and jalapeños. Simmer over low heat until sugar dissolves completely. Simmer for 15-20 minutes after sugar dissolves, then turn off the heat and allow to cool completely. This is your Jalapeno simple syrup and can be made up to a week ahead of time and stored in a cool place.

In the large bowl or vessel, add the bottles of wine, rum, pineapple juice, cooled simple syrup, and pineapple cubes. Mix well.

If you’re using seltzer for a lighter and bubbly sangria, add right before serving.

I made this sangria the day before so the flavors can meld well. You can make it up to 3 days in advance—just be aware it gets slightly spicier every day. I actually preferred the heat on day 3 rather than after only 24 hours of marinating. You can always add more wine and seltzer to balance out the heat.

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Jamieson is a lover of all things edible. This led her to culinary school after graduating college. She’s done pretty much every job in a kitchen and now owns a seasonal restaurant, Mamasa, in Costa Rica. While she is home in the US for the rest of the year she works as a personal chef and nanny- hence, The Nanny Recipes. Jamieson is currently writing a cookbook that features her simple, easy and delicious recipes to help parents feed the entire family.

Hometown Pasadena publisher Kat Ward has known “Jamie,” as she used to be called, since she was a mere toddler back in the late 80s. Jamieson now owns Mamasa, an open air seasonal restaurant in Playa Grande, Costa Rica, and we at HP thought it would be fun to expand our recipe horizons, as well as start planning our next vacation somewhere between December and May (when Mamasa is open).